Fairy Tales don't always end with happy endings
by oni furaigon
Summary: This story happened after Fire Emblem 7 and before Fire Emblem 6. The story starts with the tactician from Fire Emblem 7 asking about what happened to the people in Eliwood's army and learns about Nino and Jafaar.


Fairy Tales don't always have happy endings... Fire Emblem fanfiction by Oni Flygon  
  
Etruria—the country lay open to Ilia's frigid gales. A snowstorm was brewing outside when a weary traveler knocked on the local bar's doors. The doors opened wide to welcome the heavily cloaked traveler. His dark hood covered much of his young face as he entered the warm shelter. There were people around. Mercenaries, fighters, civilians and a local magician that have found shelter from the storm, too.  
  
The lights were dim all around and the only light came from the traveling magicians who performed magic to amuse the people around them. The traveler glanced at the magician. He pulled out his books—anima books—and chanted softly. As he said the words, the pages flew out of the books and floated around. Suddenly, they darted around the room and burst into flames. Cheers and claps exploded from around the room as the mage bowed down. The traveler looked at the young mage's face and sat down in front of the counter. The mage was wearing blue robes and he has long jet-black hair that fell softly down his shoulders. His eyes shined as he made the pages of the book burst in to flames.  
  
"So, came for cover from the storm?" Asked the bartender.  
  
The traveler nodded and continued to watch the mage.  
  
"What do you want me to get ya?"  
  
"Nothing..." The traveler replied softly. He was whispering and he said nothing more afterwards.  
  
After a while, the mage stopped performing and sat down next to the traveler. He wiped the sweat of his forehead and asked the bartender for water. He looked to his right and noticed the traveler.  
  
"You like my show?" He asked.  
  
The traveler looked at him and slowly nodded. His face concealed by the shadow of his robes.  
  
"You do? That's good." He then took the glass of water from the bartender and drank it until it was half full. "Say, haven't seen you around these parts of Etruria. You from Ilia?"  
  
"No," The traveler replied. "I'm traveling around Elibe."  
  
"Well I'll be," The mage exclaimed. "Nice to meet a traveler! My name is Adrian. You?"  
  
"Mark," The traveler replied soberly.  
  
"Why that sad reaction always?"  
  
The traveler didn't say a word but looked down instead.  
  
"Mark, Mark, Mark..." Adrian repeated trying to remember something. "Mark sounds familiar."  
  
"It does?" Mark asked.  
  
"Yep! Reminds me of that tactician from Lycia. I heard he guided Lord Eliwood of Pherae's army and even saved the whole world from dragons. Only thing is, Bern and Etruria are so content with the war, they just ignored what happened."  
  
Mark was silent again as he kept listening.  
  
"They traveled everywhere! Even Valor! Gosh, I wish I was in their army." Adrian said dreamily.  
  
"Do you...know anyone from their army?" Mark asked.  
  
"Well, there's former Count and Countess Reglay. That's Lord Pent and Lady Louise. Last time I heard about them is that they resigned from their rank and resided in Nabata. I also heard that they got this cute kid called...um what was his name again?" Adrian thought as he stroked his chin.  
  
Mark looked around him and gazed at the crowd around him. There were mostly fighters from all around. Their weapons lay next to them. There were axes, swords, spears and bows. He can't seem to find any mages or shamans.  
  
"Klein! Yeah, that's his name!" Adrian laughed.  
  
"What do you know more?" Mark asked. A shine of curiousness glittered in his eyes behind the dark hood.  
  
"Boy, you are curious!" Adrian laughed. "Well, there were rumors that the Sword Demon joined Lord Eliwood's army."  
  
"Yes, yes..." Mark said contently.  
  
"Well, yeah. I also heard that the Sword Princess joined, too." Adrian sputtered. "I heard she's a beauty, too."  
  
"What became of the Sword Demon?" Mark asked.  
  
"Oh, it's very odd." Adrian replied. "You see the Sword Demon changed his ways. He wants to be called the Sword Saint now. Odd, huh?"  
  
Mark nodded intently. "What about the Sword Princess."  
  
"I heard she married some warrior guy. For all who cares, they're living somewhere now."  
  
Mark fell silent again.  
  
"Say, you heard of the Angel of Death, right?"  
  
Mark raised his head again. He nodded intently.  
  
"Rumor has it that he joined Lord Eliwood's army after being changed by this little cute girl." Adrian then paused.  
  
"A girl...please continue," Mark replied.  
  
"Well, it's like a fairy tale. You see, that girl and the Angel of Death married after the conflict."  
  
Adrian noticed something under Mark's hood. It was a smile.  
  
"But this fairy tale didn't end up in a happy ending, lad!" said a voice behind them.  
  
A yellow haired mercenary was behind them. He was holding a mug of beer as he said the words.  
  
"Dwain!" Adrian called. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine!" Dwain replied. "So you met a new friend?" He asked eying at Mark.  
  
"Oh yeah, he was asking about Lord Eliwood's army."  
  
"Is that so?" Dwain questioned. "So you want me to tell the rest of the story, huh?" he asked Mark.  
  
"Yes, please do so!" Mark replied intently.  
  
"Alright," Dwain smiled as he slammed his mug down. "Well, it was like this..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Jafaar!" Nino yelled. "Jafaar, they're outside the door!"  
  
Jafaar moved quickly as he led Nino in to their twin's bedroom.  
  
"Hurry, take them and I'll fend them off!" Jafaar said.  
  
It was night and it was pitch black. Jafaar and Nino doused the lights to be avoided seen by the mercenaries who were after the famed Angel of Death. Their own home, even after the efforts of concealment of Lord Eliwood, was now discovered.  
  
Nino picked up both of their twin babies from their cribs then followed Jafaar in the darkness.  
  
"Quickly," Jafaar whispered.  
  
The door banged.  
  
"We know you're in there, Angel of Death! You are accused of the attempted assassination of King Zephiel and for posing as a member of the Black Fang." A voice called.  
  
"Jafaar, where are we going to go?" Nino asked as she followed Jafaar until they reached the backdoor.  
  
"I don't know," Jafaar replied. He unsheathed his twin swords that he kept from a few years ago. "No matter what, we're going to run. If they surround us, I will make a pathway and you will flee!"  
  
"But Jafaar!" Nino hesitated.  
  
"Do what I say!" Jafaar whispered loudly.  
  
They managed to go outside unnoticed through the backdoor of their house and they were running on the open.  
  
"We're going to Pherae and seek assistance from Lord Eliwood." Jafaar breathed as they kept running.  
  
"But that's a long way from here! Ostia is the nearest place to go!"  
  
"Nino, Lord Hector still hates me for killing one of his spies. Do you think he will accept me freely?"  
  
Nino fell silent again. But then, arrows began to fly towards them.  
  
"They've found us!" Nino whispered in horror.  
  
"Stand back!" Jafaar said when they realized that they were surrounded.  
  
"We got you know," Said one of the mercenaries. "Now, if you want to surrender peacefully, you can do that. Try to resist and we will kill you."  
  
With a swift motion, Jafaar knocked back two mercenaries.  
  
"Nino, go!" He yelled.  
  
"But, but..."  
  
"GO!"  
  
Nino ran as fast as she could away from the crowd of mercenaries. She heard shouting and swords clashing. She kept running as tears streamed down her eyes and as she held her two sons tightly within her arms. She didn't want to leave him. She didn't even see his face one last time.  
  
Then, she noticed something. A house. She quickly ran towards the house and knocked on the door quickly.  
  
"Help! Help!" She yelled. "Someone, please help!"  
  
The door opened and a familiar face greeted her. Inside, Nino could see children lying in their beds sleeping soundly. It was Lucius' orphanage.  
  
"Nino? Nino, is that you?" Lucius said.  
  
"Lord Lucius, please help me!" Nino said frantically as she tried to hold her tears and tried to refrain from choking her words.  
  
"What is it? Why the tears, Nino?" Lucius asked softly.  
  
"Please... hold Rei and Lugh... I must help Jafaar." She said as she handed both her babies to Lucius.  
  
"Nino, what—"Lucius tried to hesitate but Nino quickly handed her babies to Lucius. "Nino!"  
  
Nino couldn't restrain her tears anymore as she ran. She was getting closer and he could hear the jeering and the laughter.  
  
"We could give the head to Bern and maybe we could give the body to the people!" One man laughed.  
  
"I say we keep the body for a little souvenir!" Another suggested.  
  
Nino could see Jafaar lying down. His swords broken and he was also badly wounded.  
  
"Jafaar!" Nino called.  
  
The mercenaries turned around to see Nino rushing. She took out an Elfire book quickly and she opened it. With trembling hands, she chanted the words. Pages flew from the book and attacked the mercenaries.  
  
Yells and screams exploded and cost many charred bodies. More fled as Nino rushed to Jafaar's side.  
  
"Jafaar!" Nino cried as she held him up.  
  
"Ni...Nino..." Jafaar whispered.  
  
"Jafaar, what have they done to you? I thought you've left me already..." She sobbed as she hugged Jafaar's bleeding body.  
  
"Nino..." Jafaar whispered as he summoned the last of his strength to place his arms around Nino. "I've...I said this before...you...you're worthy of living..."  
  
"Jafaar, please don't say that! If I could, I'd die with you!" Nino replied as cried. "You told me, you love me! Don't you?"  
  
"Yes...I do... I love you...I love you...I'm sorry..."Jafaar whispered as he struggled to breathe.  
  
"Jafaar..." Nino said as tears kept streaming from her eyes.  
  
~*~*~*~ "What's taking her so long?" Lucius thought as he tended to the children around him. He had placed Rei and Lugh together in a crib next to a yellow haired baby.  
  
"The weather's getting worst," He looked out and saw that there was a snowstorm brewing. "Nino...please survive..." Lucius whispered.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Did she survive?" Mark asked.  
  
"There was no word." Dwain was silent again as he shined his sword.  
  
"How did you know this?" Mark said.  
  
"My friend was one of those mercenaries and he had these large burn marks around him. Aye! That girl can cook up an entire army. There's no kidding." Dwain laughed.  
  
"I heard they were both posing as Black Fang members once. Is that true?" Adrian asked.  
  
"I guess that is true. But have you heard of that druid who was in Lord Eliwood's army?" Dwain asked.  
  
"You mean the druid who married a prominent magic user?" Mark asked.  
  
"Yeah, you're knowledgeable." Dwain commented. "Rumors say he and his wife died while stopping a snow storm."  
  
"Oh," Mark said lowering his head. "I see."  
  
"To be ironic, it was the same snow storm we're experiencing now." Adrian added.  
  
"Bandits! Bandits!" Someone yelled.  
  
"What is it now?" Dwain muttered.  
  
"Bandits are coming this way and they're a lot!" A man said as he came inside.  
  
"We're mercenaries here, why don't we finish them off?" Adrian yelled.  
  
Everyone cheered as he said the words. They all picked up their weapons and started to march outside when Mark came to Adrian and Dwain's side.  
  
"I can help," He said.  
  
"Can you fight?"  
  
"No but I'm a tactician," Mark replied.  
  
"Grand! A tactician! We need one don't we?" Adrian said.  
  
"Come on then, lad!" Dwain said as they marched out.  
  
The End 


End file.
